Cue that theme music!

Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 by Travis Cody in
5

It's live from Hollywood!


Welcome to night two of guilty pleasures week.  We switch up with Team S&D performing their individual dances and Team G&P showing us their group freestyle.

Let's get right to it.

Melissa and Tony dance Tango.  It's amazing to me that she is dancing despite the neck injury.  I like the way this dance is staged with the mad scientist.  I like the twist at the end with Tony taking Melissa's place.  I love the way the two of them work together.  There was drama in rehearsal, but Tony is so supportive.  Something didn't look right to me during the dancing.  It seemed like Melissa was getting her feet mixed up a little bit and adding a shuffle step to get around the turns.  Maybe not, but some of the footwork looked awkward to me.  I did like it when she extended her legsses, yes preciouss, I liked that very much indeed.  She has nice legsses.  Overall, a strong performance and quite enjoyable.  Judges say 9s across for a total of 27.

Shawn and Derek dance Rumba.  We know she can be sexy and athletic in the up tempo dances.  Now we get to find out if she can express vulnerability.  Nice touch to raise this onto a circular platform.  This is really beautifully done.  Derek's choreography was fantastic.  He made that dance into a scene that recreated the entire Titanic movie in 90 seconds.  It was so ethereal and flowing.  The two of them were in the moment and so connected to each other.  And on top of that, they brought the audience right into the piece with them.  I think Carrie Ann is wrong...there was no lift.  Shawn ran to Derek and jumped to him, which is done on her own power and shouldn't count as a lift.  Len liked the performance but didn't think it was a true Rumba.  So this won't be a perfect 30 because Carrie Ann will mark down for a lift that wasn't, and Len will mark down because he doesn't think it was a Rumba.  I say that as a performance, it was flawless.  Judges say 9,8,10 for a total of 27.

Apolo and Karina dance Samba.  It's one thing to increase the difficulty level, but you have to execute.  I enjoy the way he leads Karina through the steps in hold.  This was a great performance.  He had his hips working in overdrive.  The whole dance had a great party flavor to it.  It had energy.  It was fast.  Musicality was outstanding.  I missed a little bit of the Samba bounce.  This was more smooth and glidy.  Glidy?  Yes, it's a word.  More glidy than bouncy, I thought.  Apolo tends to slide his feet through some of the steps, which isn't necessarily wrong but it does minimize the bounce, and Samba is all about the bounce.  The bounce gives it the party flavor.  But that's just picking nits.  I liked the way each movement was connected to the next.  Great performance.  Judges say 8.5,9.5,9 for a total of 27.

Sabrina and Louis dance Waltz.  Now we see whether Sabrina can contain her energy and focus on the beauty of dance.  She's really done a wonderful job with her extension from her arms through her fingertips.  I thought that was a very sweetly romantic performance.  She calmed her center and relaxed into the dance.  I found her quite charming.  The song was a set up for the fairy tale that a Waltz should be.  It was a Disney fairy tale and I really enjoyed it.  This was the animated movie romance and I thought they portrayed it very well.  I think the neat thing about this is that the music was minimalist, and Louis went for "less is more" choreography.  But he still put some unique and creative spins and steps, and I thought that choice gave the performance a simplicity that was engaging.  Judges say 10,9.5,9.5 for a total of 29.

Here comes the team freestyle from Team G&P to Gangnam Style featuring Gilles and Peta, Kelly and Val, Emmitt and Cheryl, and Kirstie and Maks.  I thought this team was at a disadvantage at first glance.  But I think they got a song that suits the overall personality of the group.  Rehearsal looks a bit haphazard.  I have no idea how I feel about that performance.  They weren't in sync during the group parts.  The individual solos were OK.  It was so sloppy and silly, but it was entertaining as well.  Yikes.  I do have to say that I hate that song.  Judges say 9s across for a total of 27.  Definitely not as good as the other group, but entertaining in its own weird way.

Here's our leader board after combining both performances.

58.5 Sabrina and Louis
56.5 Gilles and Peta
56.5 Shawn and Derek
56.5 Melissa and Tony
56.5 Apolo and Karina
56.0 Emmitt and Cheryl
52.5 Kirstie and Maks
51.5 Kelly and Val

Pam and I both thought that Len jobbed Shawn and Derek with that 8.  He clearly downgraded an entire point based on his interpretation of whether the dance qualified as a Rumba.  I thought the overall performance was so good that it should have gotten the 8.5 paddle at least.

But, it's not the first time and won't be the last time that we've tilted our heads at a score.  

No eliminations this week, so Kirstie & Maks and Kelly & Val have another dance next Monday to try and close the gap to the rest of the field.  That's a pretty significant deficit to make up with fan votes, so I think both couples are in trouble in what will likely be a double elimination week.

Later gang!



I had my quote picked out for yesterday, but after I proofed my DWTS post I hit publish and went to bed without adding the quote.  So I've got 2 quotes and 2 reasons for you today.


The pacifist's task today is to find a method of helping and healing which provides a revolutionary constructive substitute for war.  Vera Brittain

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.  William James


Reason 11: Because our troops are still in harms' way in hot spots throughout the world, and I wish to honor their sacrifice to duty by working to bring them home safe and whole.

Reason 10: Because sometimes you just have to stand up and be counted.

We speak on one subject with one voice on one day. Won't you join us? You have a voice; how will you use it? Check in at Mimi Writes or at the Peace Globe Gallery for all the details you need to make your Peace Globe and join your voice to the movement.

Join us. You know you want to.

I believe that words have power, so this matters.

 

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review again Travis...Still have not found time to view the show this season...

  1. Jean(ie) says:

    snuggle up and enjoy the week!Next week's episode will be here before you know it.

  1. Cherie says:

    Mr. Cranky Pants was in the ballroom for sure! And, I don't get how Melissa gets 9's for that performance. I thought that Apolo's was so much better, but it also wasn't worthy of a 10. There wasn't anyplace to go. Very inconsistent judging. Then, a specific understandable guideline about lifts. I wouldn't have called Shawn's move a lift either. If it's just suspending one's partner off the ground then just about every couple would have to have had points docked. Their dance was beautiful, and Derek's choreography was mesmerizing. Then, I had so much fun with the Gangnam Style freestyle. Not sure that I'd want to listen to the song every day, but I did watch the routine at least three times last night. lol

    I've been trying to decide on my "guilty pleasure" song. I was thinking show tunes. "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music? Too campy. "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific? Viennese Waltz? Too fast! lol Maybe I'd go with that song from My Fair Lady that celebrates stalking, "On the Street Where You Live," for a beautiful Foxtrot. Until next week.

  1. Ivanhoe says:

    I worked late so I missed it, but I watched Monday :)
    So the bros are in danger, huh? Interesting! My personal opinion...Maks should go ;)

  1. Anonymous says:

    I keep thinking I will watch this DWTS, but I turned my living room into a ball park last night for the first game of the World Series. Then I have to come hear a read about DWTS. GGG